Chain-stich machine.



R. G. WOOD WARD.

CHAIN STITCH MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9; I911.

1,167,463, Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

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Gum/"Mai R. G WOODWARD.

CHAIN STITCH-MACHINE! APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, tan.

1,167,463. Patented Jan.11, 1916.

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RUSSEL G. WOODWAR'D, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOI3, ASSIGNOR T0 UNION SPECIAL MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CHAIN-STITCH MACEINE.

Application filed. January 9, 1911.

To; all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, RUSSEL G. Woonwann, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chain-Stitch Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in sewing machines, and more especially to. sewing machines of the single chain stitch type.

An object of the invention is to provide a looper which is so constructed as to prop-- erly hold and spread the needle loop for the entrance of the needle without the use of spring retainers which are liable to lose elasticity or adjustment, and cause the skipping of stitches.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chain stitch machine with a thread loop supporting bar which holds the base of the needle loop close to the needle at the time the needle is entering said needle loop, and thus avoids the skipping of stitches.

These and other objects will in part be obvious, and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is an end view partly in elevation and partly in section, showing more or less diagrammatically a machine having my improvements applied thereto; F 2 is a top plan View of the parts beneath the cloth plate; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the throat plate, showing the loop supporting bar, also diagrammatically the needle and looper at the time when the needle point is entering the loop of thread on the looper; Fig. 4c is a bottom plan view of the throat plate; Fig. 5 is a side view of the looper carrier; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 7 is a side view with one of the loopers detached from the machine; Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the same.

Prior to the present invention, it has been common to mount a looper on a looper support so that said looper swings in a vertical plane parallel to the line of feed, and enters the needle loop in the direction of feed. In order that the needle loop may be properly Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

Serial No. 601,658.

held on a looper moving in the above stated direction so that the needle will with certainty enter into the loop on the looper, it has been customary to provide the looper with a. retaining spring finger which enga the loop on the looper and holds it back on the body of the looper, until after the needle point has entered the loop. These spring retainers have certain objections, as it is difficult to adjust the same to cooperate with threads of different sizes, and furthermore, the spring retainer adds more weight to the looper and again, the spring metal is liable to be bent out of shape so as to fail to retain the loop on the looper.

My improved looper avoids the use of any retaining spring and is so constructed as to not only retain the loop upon the body of the looper until the needle point has entered well into the loop on the looper, but said looper also serves as a means for slightly spreading the needle loop so that the needle will with certainty enter into the same.

In the drawings I have shown a sewing machine which is provided with the usual needle bar 1, carrying a needle 2 at the lower end thereof. A presser bar 2 supports a presser foot 8. A feed dog 4: is carried by the feed bar 5 which is moved up and down by an eccentric 6 on the main shaft 7. The feed bar 5 is moved back and forth by the feed rocker S which is oscillated by a link 9 from an eccentric on the main shaft. A looper supporting shaft 10 is oscillated from the main shaft by a link connection 11, which is preferably so formed as to give a slight differential movement to the looper with the proper dwell at the forward end of its stroke, so that the needle may enter the loop of needle thread on the looper. A looper carrier 12 is mounted on the looper supporting shaft 10, and my improved looper 13 is mounted in the looper carrier.

In the present machine, I have shown the looper carrier as capable of supporting three loopers and the needle bar 1 is of course, provided with a needle cooperating with each looper. It is obvious that any number of loopers may be used if desired. The looper carrier is also provided with needle guards 14, which serve to position the needle so as to prevent the looper from striking the same. These parts form no part of the present invention, and have been shown tially merely for the purpose of an illustrated embodiment of the machine, in which my improvements may be used.

My improved looper 13 consists of a shank portion 1.5 and an overhanging portion 16. At the outer end of the overhanging portion 16 is a point 17 which is substanin line with one face of the body portion of the looper. In rear of the point 17 the looper is cut away as at 18, so as to provide a space for the point of the needle when the needle is entering into the needle thread loop upon the looper.

Directly in rear of the cut away portion 18, I have formed my looper with a slight enlargement 19 which extends substantially from the top of the looper around to the lower side thereof. This enlargement forms a lateral projection which serves to retain the loop back on the body of the looper a sufficient length of time to allow the point of the needle to enter into the needle loop after which, the needle loop will then slip forward and be shed from the looper. Said enlargement or lateral projection on the body of the looper will also serve to slightly enlarge the loop laterally and thus spread the same for the entrance of the needle. To further cooperate with the looper in spreading the needle loop for the entrance of the needle, I have provided a loop supporting bar 20 (see Figs. 3 and 4). This loop supporting bar as herein shown is secured to the under face of the throat plate, and extends across the rear end of the needle throat or slot 21 in the throat plate. Said bar is located close to the path of the needle and the loop of thread extending from the previous needle puncture around the looper will be drawn across said bar. In Fig. 3, I have shown at 22 in full lines the position of the loop of thread at the time when the needle point is passing into the needle loop on the looper. In dotted lines at 2 3, I have shown the position of the needle loop in a chain stitch machine not having my improved loop supporting bar. l/Vith the long unsupported loop 23, I found that the thread loop was liable to twist, or the strands to become so nested together that the needle would sometimes pass outside of the needle loop, thus skipping stitches. lVith the loop supporting bar however, the needle loop will be drawn snugly across the same, which will serve in a measure as a snubbing post, thus properly holding the loop to prevent its twisting, and also properly holding the two strands of the loop well separated so that the needle will with certainty pass into the needle loop and all liability of skipping stitches is avoided.

It will be obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus particularly described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A single chain stitch machine including in combination a needle, a non-thread carrying looper cooperating with said needle and moving in the direction of the feed when entering the needle loop, means for oscillating said looper, a throat plate having a needle hole therein for the needle, a.

bar having a rounded face secured to the under side of the throat plate and extending across said needle hole in the rear of the path of the needle whereby the needle loop on the looper and extending to the previous needle puncture is drawn by said looper across said supporting bar and properly positioned for the entrance of the needle into said loop.

2. A single chain stitch machine, including in combination a needle, a non-thread carrying looper cooperating with said needle and moving in the direction of feed when entering the needle loop, said looper being cut away in rear of its point from top to bottom thereof to form a space for the point of the needle and the body portion of said looper at the side thereof between the point and the shank of the looper and adjacent said cut away portion being enlarged and adapted to move through the needle loop, so that when said looper is retracted said needle loop will be temporarily retained by said enlarged portion and spread for the entrance of the needle into said loop, a threat plate having needle hole therein, a bar having a rounded face secured on the under side of the throat plate and extending across said needle hole or slot in rear of'the path of the needle, whereby the needle loop on the looper and extending to the previous needle puncture is drawn by said enlarged portion of the looper across said supporting bar which properly positions the strandsof the loop for the entrance of the needle into said loop.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signa ture, in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSEL Gr. NO ODWARD.

Witnesses:

C. MGNEIL, A. B. CLOTHIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington. D. 0. 

